howells



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEToE.

HENRY C. HOW'ELLS, OF NFHV YORK, N. Y.

HEAD-SUPPORTING APPARATUS FOR TRAVELERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,806, dated April 10, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CHARLES HowELLs, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Instrument or Machine for Supporting the Head, which instrument I call a Travelers head-rest; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the instrument when extended almost to its full length. Figs. 2 and 3 are views of other or modified forms of the upper part of the instrument. Fig. t is a view of the form which the instrument, as at Figs. l and 2, exhibits when nearly closed, and Fig. 5 is a view of the form which the instrument as at Fig. 3 has when quite closed and in its most portable state.

The instrument I make entirely of pieces of steel or other suitable material, marked a, in the drawings, with the exception of the parts marked Z), which I make of elastic or non-elastic suitable material. All the pieces are jointed by rivets indicated in the draw ings by the mark O. When in use the instrument is extended to the required length by the series of levers marked a and all the joints can be at once made rigid when the instrument is extended or closed, by thumb screws at c or by any other suitable arrangement. The instrument when suitably extended is used either behind or otherwise as a support for the head which rests upon the strap or band b and which band or strap can be made to disconnect if the form of the instrument require it though I prefer that the strap should at both its ends be permanently connected with the levers d.

In Fig. 3 the strap is fastened at both ends to one piece of the instrument which is not one of the series of levers but can be moved independently of them.

In Fig. 2 the instrument is represented as having slots or apertures in the levers l Z with which the band is connected such slots being made to allow the ends of the band and the thumb screw to traverse to facilitate the closing or extension of the instrument when the band is made of leather or other not sutliciently elastic material or when such facilities are otherwise required.

The peculiar features of my invention as above described are that, it is portable and intended for the use of persons who when traveling' or otherwise desire such support for the head as the instrument will give. It is independent of any fastening to the chair or seat but if desired it can be readily adapted and attached thereto; and thus, especially if attached to car seats, supply a great and much needed comfort to railway travelers. It can be readily and permanently adjusted to the height required by the person using it.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The above described head rest as a new article of manufacture, substantially as specied.

HENRY CHARLES HOIVELLS.

Titnesses S. GAsQUoINE, C. DEANE. 

